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Small Business Tax Burden

While developers, businesses and commercial property owners have seen revenues and property values decrease over the past few years, their property tax burdens have actually increased on a dramatic scale.

Whether you are a developer, a landlord renting a private residence, operate a stand-alone business, or find yourself attached to a multi-unit commercial building as a tenant or the owner, here is a link to a recent article by Dawn Hinshaw published in both The State and Post & Courier about property taxes that you will find very interesting.

If you believe you are paying too much in property taxes, there may be options available to reduce your tax burden through a property tax appeal with the County levying the tax, or simple applications for discounts and exemptions that you may not have known exist.

Property tax appeals follow a very strict procedure, and it requires much more than the simple fact you think your tax bill is too high in order to convince taxing authorities that the bill should be lowered or the property reclassified for tax purposes. The appeals process requires an analysis of the appraisal method used to value your property, comparison of your property with similar properties in the area, and the ability to tie that information into the laws governing property tax assessment.

If you think your property taxes are too high or you find yourself contemplating a particular use of property and want to know how that use could effect your property taxation, never hesitate to contact your County’s Tax Assessor or seek the advice of knowledgeable attorneys like us, at Hart Hyland Shepherd, LLC.